SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE
Phone: 817.739.3693
Website: xsbaseball.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 1, 2026
VÁSQUEZ DELIVERS IN THE 10TH
X’S EARN GRITTY ROAD WIN
By: Andrew Della Piana
KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Sioux City (46–48) delivered a gritty performance on Tuesday night, outlasting Kansas City (55–39) 6–5 in 10 innings to pull even with Sioux Falls for the fourth and final playoff spot in the West Division with six games remaining.
Manager Steve Montgomery praised the resolve, “This team showed a lot of guts. This team has no quit, they have shown that for the last five weeks.”
Jackson Van De Brake opened the game with a leadoff home run for the second straight contest, and two batters later Henry George added a solo shot to left, giving Sioux City an early 2–0 lead.
Kansas City cut into the lead in the third when Luken Baker lifted a sacrifice fly to score Tyler Gentry, making it 2–1.
Sioux City answered again in the fourth. Braulio Vásquez lined a solo homer to left for the Explorers’ third solo shot of the night to extend the lead to 3–1.
Starter Nathan Mertens was sharp, working 5.2 innings with four hits and just one earned run, falling one out shy of a quality start.
In the eighth, Zac Vooletich lifted a sacrifice fly to score Austin Davis, pushing the lead to 4–1. But Kansas City responded in the bottom half.
Baker singled to left to score Gentry after a potential double‑play ball was bobbled by Van De Brake, and the Monarchs loaded the bases with no outs. Derek West limited the damage to one run, striking out two and inducing a flyout to preserve a 4–3 lead.
Kansas City forced extras in the ninth. Austin Callahan doubled to left, scoring Hudson Head and Gentry to tie the game 4–4. Vooletich then made a full‑extension diving catch at second to keep the game alive.
Sioux City reclaimed the lead in the tenth. With two outs and a 1–2 count, Vásquez ripped a ground‑rule double, scoring Davis and Van De Brake to make it 6–4.
Kansas City answered once more in the bottom half as Jose Torres singled home Grant Richardson, but Trey Morrill closed it out to secure the save and a crucial road victory.
Sioux City continues the series Wednesday in Kansas City at 6:35 p.m., with pregame coverage beginning at 6:05 p.m. on KSCJ 94.9 FM and 1360 AM. Fans can also watch every American Association game this season on the league’s streaming platform at aabaseball.tv. Tickets for all remaining games are available now by calling the Explorers front office at 712-277-WINS or online at xsbaseball.com. xsbaseball.com.
Notes from the Booth with DV:
-Sioux City leads the head-to-head with Kansas City 6-4.
-Trey Morrill saved his 12th of the season.
-The team hit three home runs in a game for the second time in three games.
-The X’s matched their longest winning streak of the season at three for the third time.
-Austin Davis swiped his 74th and 75th base of the season. He has more than Kansas City has as a team at 68.
-Braulio Vasquez became the 13th Explorer to hit at least 17 home runs in a season.
-D’Shawn Knowles moved into a tie for seventh in club history in stolen bases with two more bags in the game. He is tied with former Explorer and local product Dustin Jones at 87.
–ABOUT THE SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS: The Sioux City Explorers are a proud member of the American Association of Professional Baseball in Sioux City, IA. The Explorers play their home games at Security National Bank Field at Lewis & Clark Park. For more information, please visit xsbaseball.com and follow the team on Twitter at @SiouxCityXs and on Facebook at facebook.com/SiouxCityExplorers.
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